History of Violence, A (BD) [Blu-ray]

AAA+++

Great

As Viggo is most notably Aragorn in "Lord of the Rings", and had a strong character in "The Hunt for Red October" I haven't found too many of his movies to be that great. This one will surprise and puts him back on top but in a uniquely different manner from his priors as mentioned above. I didn't like his zombie contribution in 'The Road' but then I don't like zombie movies.Without giving spoilers, I'll say that he and the supporting Ed Harris, give us a stellar performance where his character is quite believable. His world gets turned upside down and transforms him into someone else entirely. Something his family now has to cope with and there's some great moments there.A great performance by Viggo...

Could you reinvent yourself? Can people actually change on a profound level or are our past flaws and undesirable traits simply waiting just under the surface? These are questions at the heart of A History of Violence. Not a movie masterpiece, but both thought provoking and entertaining all the same.Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall gives us Zen-like calm and radiates sincerity and goodness. His wife Edie, played by Maria Bello, comes across as the stronger, steelier of the two. Mortensen and Bello have apalpable, natural chemistry between them. The Stalls are still goofy about each other and devoted to their children. The Stall family is terribly, terribly nice and normal. Until...Very Bad Men invade the Stalls' diner with visions of robbery, rape, and probably murder dancing in their heads. Under this threat muscle memory and instinct kick in and mild-mannered Tom kills them. Overkills them, to be precise. This act eventually leads to the revelation that Tom Stall is the assumed identity of another Very Bad Man who decided to kick the habit.As Joey Cusack Mortensen is chilling (watch the eyes) and believable. Remember that chemistry I mentioned between Mortensen and Bello? Well, Joey and Edie have one of the most primal sexual encounters in recent movie memory (and it's quite hot), a total 180 from the erotic games that Tom and Edie lovingly play earlier in the movie.The family is now in danger from organized crime figures out of Joey's past. An altercation with (a rather cartoonish) Ed Harris and his goons shows another example of how violent Joey can be, and how easily it has all come back. I had to wonder if Joey even remembered he had a family at that point. With his father about to be killed, son Jack takes up the shotgun and shoots Ed Harris in the back. After a few off moments Tom/Joey comforts his son (Maybe Joey had forgotten he had a son for a moment? Did he have to take time to think about the appropriate thing to do in this situation?). The family is safe, but Edie and Jack have now seen their husband and father kill a man with his bare hands.The eventual showdown between Joey and his successful criminal brother gives us our final view of just how very good Joey is at killing people. He's swift, crafty, remorseless, and vicious. He's frighteningly efficient. I have to add here that despite John Hurts' scenery chewing the scene with the brothers is one of my favorites. I enjoy the progression from touching fraternal reunion to utter mayhem and murder.Finally Tom/Joey returns to his family, unsure of his reception, clearly longing for them. His daughter eases some of the tension, his son serves him some meatloaf, and Tom looks to his wife. What he sees when he stares at her face seems to ease something deep inside of him, and we are reminded of an earlier conversation between them when Tom tells Edie he remembers the day he knew she loved him by the look in her eyes. There is the clear sense that the family will go on. But....we are left to wonder. Who will be in Daddy's chair? Can Joey Cusack stash himself safely inside Tom Stall again? It took him three years to do so the first time. Is it even possible for Tom, with his air of almost innocence, to be recovered? Since his family knows and accepts, will Joey retain primacy, only putting on a Tom mask for social and business demands? Will Edie sleep soundly beside Joey? How traumatized is son Jack by what he has seen and done? Are we relieved or scared if the answer is "not very?"A History of Violence is one of my favorite movies. Solid performances make the main characters believable and real, and people you can care about and enjoy spending time with.. The main story is solid and compelling enough that the few plot holes don't detract from it. The action occurs in small explosive bursts, as violence does, and what there is packs a wallop. The pacing of the movie is used effectively to juxtapose the simple, small town life of the Stalls family with the abrupt eruptions into raw violence that are Joey Cusack's former life.

Great movie with Ed Harris- Maria Bello and Viggo Mortensen

This is a movie rental. Good movie. Made well.

The husband wife and kids had no chemistry. The wife and kids were not good actors. Movie tried to hard to make this family look like a normal family, but they failed. The movie was not a bomb because it has some strong actors in it and over all a good story line.

A movie with strong religious overtone. Viggo Mortensen plays Joey Cusack a Philadelphia mob killer who is "very good at killing." Early in his life he alludes to a religious experience, later saying he spent three days in the desert (Jesus endured three temptations during his forty days in the desert) becoming a new and better man; and also changes his name to "Tom Stall." He marries, raises a family, and lives quietly in a small town. The crucifix he wares is shown numerous times in the movie. When some homicidal vermin come into his restaurant to rob and kill, the "old Joey" comes back and quickly and efficiently dispatches the two scum..he IS good at killing. This draws the attention of his creepy brother, a mob boss big shot who is pissed at him b/c the "old Joey" messed up a "made man," casting a pall on his ambitious brother re mob higher ups. Joey must make a journey back into hell to deal with his brother after his family is threatened. Initially there to make peace, his "brother" makes clear his intent to kill Joey who again must fight for his life with a brutal efficiency (clearly a talent) that was part of his earlier life. All to frequently knowing how, and when, to fight is good...most guys understand this. The part of the move that was disappointing to me was the heartlesness of his wife and older son, there seems to be no forgiveness in their eyes or manner. Far from supporting her loving husband (whoever he was in a previous life) she is more worried about the "family name;" than her husband's life...there is coldness in her eyes as well. She seems oblivious to the pain in Joey's eyes on numerous occassions, particularly in a sex scene filmed on the stairs in their home as a desperate Joey/Tom tries in a physical way to regain her love and trust. Only his little girl shows him any real love towards the end of the movie. Glad I never married a woman like THAT!